Sign-letter holder.



G. H. KEITH E H. P. ANMQRSON. SIGN LETTER HOLDER..

APLIAQATON FILED JULY 17, 1913.

Ea'tnted Nm?. 10, 1914..

G. KEITH L H. E. ANDERSGN. SIGNLBTTER B01-yum. APPLIUATON FILED JUNE/,1913.

fatnted Nov. 1 0, 1914.

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2.

yat

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE 1H. KEITH AND HARRY F. ANDERSON, OF MARION, INDIANA; SAID KEITH ASSIGNOR 'll JAMES ROYCE, F CHICAGO, ILLINOS.

'eren-LETTER Homann.

.To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE H. Rnrrrr Aand HARRY F. ANDERSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of' fndiana, have invented certain new and useful lin'provements in Sign-Letter Holders; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theI invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which yit appertains, to make. and use the same. This invention relates primarily to signs of that character known as illuminated lamp boxes, -but more especially to the pane fasteners which are employed in such boxes for holding the glass letters or the panels inplace.

The object of the invention the construction of the holder 0 least possible portion of the ered so that if it be glass the greatest amount oilight may shine therethrough. This object iscarried out by the construc tion set forth below and shown in the drawin s whereiii* "igure l is a front elevation drawn in true perspective; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a horizontal fragmentary section on the'line 3-3 of is a fragmentary section on the line i-#l of Fig. 3; Fig. ais a perspective detail of one ofthe spacers complete; and Fig. 6 is a cross section of such spacer.

While our inventioniscapable of use in a number of Ways, we llave shown it and will herein describe it as applied to a sign of that type known as illuminated lamp boxes. ln the present'case the box B has closed top and bottom and end walls, and what might be called its front face made f up of panels preferably of glass which may be clear as shown at C, partly clear or colored as shown at O, or lettered or num-A bered as shown at L, and Which will be hereinafter referred to by the word panel because although they are preferably of glass they might be of other material. What might be called the back of thebox B is in the present instance made removable so that access to its interior can be had, and the back is shown herein as comprising top and bottom flanges Fwhich pass insidethe top and bottom walls of the box .B and a body 5 which is open except for the spacers and is to improve whereby the panel 1s covof this sign,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 17, 1913.

' usual in structures of this Fig. 2; Fig. Ll-

Patented Nov. l0, 1914. Serial No. 779,646.

panels like those on thefront of the box and therefore need .not be described. Any suitable fastening means inay be employed for holding the back within the box, and these need not be elaborated. The drawings also ow an electric lamp socket S from which wires W lead through one wall of the box to a proper source of electricity, and in this socket may be placed a bulb so that the lettered panels can be illuminated when clesired.

- Coming now to the details of the present i invention, the open front of the box (and the same may be said of the open back) is surrounded by a frame consisting of a flange 1 depending from the top wall of the box, a flange 2 rising from its bottom wall, and two other flanges 3 projecting from its end wallsall said flanges standing in a common plane across the face of the box. Overlying and spaced slightly from the top and bottom flanges l and 2 are strips 4 willich are secured at their upper and lower edges respectively to these flanges or the respective walls of the box, and which are spaced slightly from said flanges; and these strips are soldered at their ends to the end flanges 3 at the points 5, rather'than being open as kind.

The panels C, O, or L are disposed in upright position within the box between the top and bottom Walls (or between theinturned flanges l? of the back of the box) and are held against the inside of the flanges l and 2 by means of L-shaped strips 6 which are preferably of metal and rather small-so snall in fact, .that the vertical leaf of the strip is hidden behind the flange and the latter forms the border for the letter which occurs on the panel if it have one. The top leaf of the uppermost strip 6 underlies the top of the box body, and the lower horizontal leaf of the lower strip overlies the bottom of the box body. Within the latter are secuiredlugs 8 having threaded apertures therethrough whereby they become in effect nuts, the same being disposed so far in rear of the flanges 1 and 2 that the horizontal leaves of the L-shaped strips 6 may be readily passedbetween said flanges and nuts, and through the latter pass screws 9 Whose tips bear against. the vertical leaves of said strips and press them against the rear of the panels, While the panels are in turn p/ressed against the inner sides of the fos flanges l and 2. To remove a panel when thus locked into the box body (or its back) it is only necessary to loosen the screws 9 within the nuts 8 and remove one of the strips (f. or at most 1oosen or remove both of the strips. Then Lne panel in question can" right angles and having their alined leaves clamped in the head and their other leaves,

carried away from said head at right angles thereto into a web ll, the latter being cut off at its extremities l2 so that it is shorter `than the head l0 and ol a length correspending with the distance between the inner edges of the lianges l and 2. Beyond this web the head projects sli htly as shown, and its ends are intended to e slidably engaged vwith the channels formed by strips e. These upright members or spacers are put in place with their ends engaged with the members as just described, before the panels are applied, and in the finished sign they will space the panels with lines which appear opaque to the eye it' the panels themselves are translucent. arranged the panels and their spacers as Will now be understood7 the l.shaped strips 6 are applied last, and the screws 9 tight ened up to hold-them in position. Their upright leaves are hidden behind the flanges l and 2 as stated above, and therefore the upright webs ll of the spacers do not come in Contact with any part of the strips within the boX, and there is no interference of members. lf the box be illuminated by means of a bulb placed in the socket S it becomes an illuminated sign; but we do not Having placed orand bottom flanges and secured at their edges and ends thereto; of panels within the box with their upper and lower edges in rear of said flanges, means for holding them removably in Contact with thelsame, and spacers of T-shaned cross section having their webs of a length to stand between contiguous edges of the panels and between the inner edges of the top and bottom flanges and their heads of greater length so that they rest outside said flanges andinside said strips.

9 The combination With a boxhaving y an open side, top and bottom flanges `along the same, panels within the box having their upper and lower ends in rear of said flanges, means within the box for pressing them into contact with the lianges; of up right spacers of T--shaped cross section, the webs ot said spacers extending between said flanges and between adjacent panels and the' heads of said spacers covering the edges of adjacent panels and extending beyond said webs at the upper and lower ends thereof to over-lie said tov and bottom flanges, and means for hol ing the ends of said heads against the outer faces of the flanges.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribingl witnesses.

GEORGE/H, BETER. I HARRY F.V ANDERSON; l

VS/Yitnesses ALBERT G. AILMANS, Rariuonn F. HANCOCK. 

